Barack Obama Answers Questions on Senate Scandal, Creates More

President-elect Barack Obama took some questions from reporters today on his role in the scandal surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's attempts to sell an appointment to Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. When the scandal first broke, Obama said that he would have no comment on the ongoing investigation, other than a short statement denying that he had met with Blagojevich to discuss the vacancy. That statement was immediately criticized as lacking by Republicans while numerous press outlets pointed out that the remarks contradicted Obama's chief political strategist, David Axelrod, who had told a Chicago television station that Obama and the governor did discuss the Senate seat. The criticism no doubt helped bring about the change in strategy, as Obama provided some more details that point to the possibility that one or more members of his staff may have had contact with the governor's office about potential Senate appointees.

Asked about his conversations with Blagojevch, Obama repeated his denial that and discussions took place, but he hinted that there were contacts between his transition team and the governor. "What I want to do is gather all the facts about any staff contacts that may have taken place," he said. He stressed, however, that no one on his staff engaged in any discussions with Blagojevich that involved the alleged schemeing to sell the Senate appointment. Obama also said that neither he nor his staff have been interviewed by federal prosecutors as part of the investigation.

The decision to answer questions is a good start by the Obama team, but the questions must be answered truthfully. Like his first remarks on the scandal, Obama's statement that no one on his staff had any conversations with the governor's office that involved Blagojevich's various plans to profit from naming a successor to Obama did not last 24 hours. Yesterday's stunning revelation that Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had numerous contacts with Blagojevich about the seat and may have provided a list of acceptable candidates to the governor on Obama's behalf certainly makes that statement inoperative. And Emanuel was not the only high-ranking Obama advisor speaking to Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. Obama's national campaign co-chairman, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) has been reported to be the "Senate Candidate Number 5" named in the indictment. The indictment alleges that "Senate Candidate Number 5" offered to raise $500,000 and secure an additional $1 million for Blagojevich's reelection campaign in 2010 in exchange for the appointment. That offer allegedly took place before the election, while Jackson was serving on Obama's campaign. The president-elect must answer with complete candor what, if anything, he knew about contacts between high-ranking members of his campaign and the governor's office. If he didn't know anything, he must answer why not.

As the investigation continues, there will be further revelations and leaks, all of which will involve Obama or members of his staff at some level. This is so not necessarily because Obama did anything wrong, but because everyone involved is a member of the Chicago political machine that Obama grew up in. Each time a new revelation is brought forth, Obama should address it with the whole truth, and resist the temptation to distance himself from the information and the person it involves. His first two statements on the scandal have not met that standard. Four days into the biggest scandal in recent American political history, and President-elect Obama's answers raise more questions than they satisfy.

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